How a Speech Coach Measures Performance

You want to be a better public speaker. Maybe it’s to help you provide clearer leadership to your team or to better engage with your customers. Or, maybe it’s to take advantage of a moment in the spotlight to advance your career.

How a Speech Coach Measures Performance

So, you’ve made the choice to improve your performance. Now what? I believe careful assessment, both self-assessment and what’s provided by a professional speech coach, is necessary for speakers to change their perspective, change their expectations, and in the end, change the results achieved from every speaking opportunity.

During my years of speech consulting, I’ve fine-tuned a set of 10 criteria to help my clients set realistic goals and then measure their progress. It begins with these five foundational criteria of public speaking:

1. Knowledge of key public speaking concepts

How speeches are unique

Definition of a successful speech

The role of the audience

2. Writing of meaningful content

Clarifying purpose and objectives

Organizing messages and supporting data, arguments and stories

Scripting or speaker notes

3. Proper use of media

Making it meaningful

Using imagery

Aspiring to be art

4. Natural on-stage presence and movement

Tempo and pace

Rhythm and dynamics

Working with teleprompters or confidence monitors

5. A commitment to continuous improvement

Mastery of these criteria is attainable, especially with the help of a speech coach. But, this is only just the beginning. Consistently delivering great speeches and presentations requires much, much more. You have to raise your expectations. You have to dig deeper and take bigger chances.

This requires a different, more expansive set of criteria that helps you take your speeches and presentations to the next level. These are:

6. Building confidence

In your beliefs, ideas and messages

In your abilities

In your audience

7. Striving for clarity

Of your purpose and vision

Of your messages and conclusions

Efficient use of the right words

8. Engaging your audience

Empathy and perspective

Connecting intellectually and emotionally

Making it a conversation

9. Creating experiences

Being “present” and staying in the moment

Using dramatic structure

Speaking in pictures and sounds

10. Preparing effectively

Constructive brainstorming

Fearless editing

Focused rehearsal

Use of these more advanced criteria provide an opportunity for top-level speech consulting to take place, during which a speech coach helps you push boundaries and differentiate yourself by creating unique and meaningful experiences.

It’s important to remember that all 10 criteria apply to every type of speaking opportunity, from keynote speeches on a big stage to new business presentations in a conference room. They are both a guide and a means to assess performance going forward—by speakers and speech coaches alike.

How do you measure the success of your own speeches and presentations?